Faye Graham, 17, has been in and out of hospital no less than 13 times in the past couple of years, suffering two ruptured ovarian cysts, so painful they knocked her unconscious.
The Bede College pupil thought her health worries were over when she went under the knife at Sunderland Royal to remove her second cyst in May this year, but last week she took another turn for the worse.
She was travelling to college on the bus last Thursday from her home at Town End Farm when she started feeling unwell.
Mum Joanne, 37, said: "She tried to get off the bus, but before she could she was sick and then passed out because she was in so much pain.
"She heard a lady's voice shouting to the bus driver to stop, and the next thing she knew the driver was picking her up off the floor and carrying her across the road and through Southwick to the doctor's surgery."
The driver carried Faye almost half a mile across The Green at Southwick to Dr Cloak and Partners' Surgery, where she was found to have appendicitis.
She was then taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital where she underwent an emergency appendectomy.
Ever since, Faye and her family have been trying to trace the driver of the 12.15pm number 13 Stagecoach bus from Town End Farm to Southwick.
Faye, a health and social care student, said: "It was so nice of him, but I didn't even get to thank him because he had to rush off. He had left a bus full of people at the bus stop.
"If it hadn't been for him I don't know what I would have done, because I couldn't get up by myself."
Joanne added: "I am so grateful because I hate to think of her being on her own when she is so ill, and he really put himself out."
Faye is now recovering well at home but is still very sore. She really wants to thank the bus driver so if you know him call the Echo newsdesk, tel: 501 7208.